KARACHI: The Awami Theatre Festival 2024, organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan, has concluded with the play titled Batwara, written and directed by Zahid Shah.

The event lasted for 21 days during which 26 dramas were staged.

Before the play, a ceremony for the directors of all the plays was held. They were given certificates by Sindh Culture Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister lauded the effort of the organisers for arranging the festival with plays penned in most languages spoken in the region at a time when other parts of the country, KP and Punjab, were shut down [due to the turbulent political situation].

“Those who have participated in the event are big names, not just in our country but across the border. I was recently in London for a tourism conference where there were Indians, too. They are fond of our artists such as Rauf Lala and Shakil Siddiqi. The tension between the two countries must end. They [Indians] said to me that we [Pakistanis] should send our artists to their country because Pakistani plays such as those of Umer Sharif and TV programs like Loose Talk are more famous than their films.

“There’s no dearth of talent in Pakistan. The Sindh government along with the Arts Council will try to further promote your plays wherever the department will hold festivals. Artists are the soft image of Pakistan,” he added.

The council’s president, Ahmed Shah, said when the entire world was closed down because of Covid-19, the council put up 47 plays. “The western media interviewed us about it. We told the world that entertainment is for our people. It’s a matter of life and death for us. This is our way of life. If we are to bring equality in society and make it a pluralistic one, then these things must be organised.”

After the speeches, Batwara was performed for which the auditorium 2 of the council was bursting at the seams. There was hardly any space which was not occupied by theatre lovers. Many were left outside of the hall.

Batwara, in a lighter vein, focused on the social issue of how to maintain a balanced family life. It was well received. The cast of the play included Shanzay, Javed Takani, Sidra Sheikh, Jibran Khan, Arif Babli, Faiza Malik and Zahid Shah.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2024